Can You Cheat On Online Ap Exams
Due to COVID-19 pandemic concerns, AP exams will now be offered online this year. If a student violates exam security by sharing or discussing questions/answers on social media platforms such as Facebook or Twitter, their score will be voided and they may be banned from future testing sessions.
Trevor Packer, an executive from the College Board, tweeted that an anti-cheating ring had already been dismantled and investigations are currently being conducted into this. But is it really possible to cheat on these new home-based AP exams?
1. Breaking into the test provider’s computer
Due to COVID-19’s pandemic, many schools have switched over their lessons and exams online – including Advanced Placement exams previously administered on-campus at high schools around the country. While students appreciate online testing for its convenience, this also opens the door for cheating as students with knowledge in computer hacking can find ways to cheat without being detected – however it remains challenging for College Board monitoring student activities during an AP test.
The College Board has taken measures to reduce cheating during AP digital exams. Students will take their exams using Chromebooks (school-managed), Windows or Mac laptops or desktops and iPads. Supervisors will also be present in each classroom where tests are administered in order to monitor activities; home exams will not be permitted.
Students caught cheating on Advanced Placement digital exams could see their scores cancelled, their high school notified and any colleges and universities who received their scores will not consider them for admission consideration; furthermore they may even be disallowed from taking future AP tests.
Teen Vogue reports that some Advanced Placement teachers have told Teen Vogue that students are still engaging in cheating on the exam by using online private messaging apps and videoconferencing tools to discuss questions before taking their tests. Furthermore, other students reported using tutors to write AP essay responses; tutors confirmed they are being paid substantial sums by these students in violation of College Board testing policies.
Even with all of the College Board’s efforts to prevent cheating on Advanced Placement exams, some students may attempt to cheat. It’s crucial that students make informed decisions regarding their exams and understand any associated risks of cheating; ultimately they should decide between taking paper exams or digital ones; one may provide more challenging challenges while providing more access for students with disabilities than vice versa.
2. Breaking into the College Board’s computer
With schools forced to cancel classes and move AP exams online due to COVID-19 pandemic, the risk of cheating rose exponentially. Students planned on using secret chat apps and video conferences during tests; tutors were offered significant sums in exchange for taking exams on behalf of students; many teachers also expressed fears they won’t be able to adequately screen these exams themselves, leading them to cheating as a means to motivate students who might otherwise otherwise work hard and perform.
The College Board promised students they would prioritize security, providing an environment in which they felt safe taking their exam without interruptions or distractions. Unfortunately, it’s evident that this system is far from foolproof: students have already made attempts at cracking into College Board computers to cheat on AP exams by looking up answers online before their test – an obvious way of cheating that’s unfortunately still used today by cheating groups.
Additionally, the College Board employs anti-plagiarism software and has contracted a company offering monitoring and proctoring services for Advanced Placement exams. Unfortunately, such companies have become notorious for selling student data to targeted advertisers, violating students’ privacy in violation of Electronic Privacy Information Act. As a result, a class action lawsuit was filed against College Board under this statute.
Reddit user Dinosauce313 created an impersonated account on the /r/APtests2020 subreddit to promote his plan to hack into College Board computers and cheat during AP exams in 2020. Unfortunately, no one believed his claims, prompting his account to be quickly deleted as users posted memes featuring Drake and Bernie Sanders instead in order to give a digital middle finger salute against the College Board.
College Board’s refusal to disclose how many students were caught attempting to cheat and what methods they employed is deeply troubling, sending a clear signal that they’re unconcerned with cheating – an awful message to send both students and our country at large. Please keep in mind if caught cheating an AP exam, your college will be informed and may refuse to grant credit in certain instances.
3. Breaking into the test provider’s test center
Students take Advanced Placement exams (AP exams) to demonstrate their knowledge of college-level material and gain credit towards their classes. These high-stress tests typically last three hours and must be proctored in person, but due to the coronavirus pandemic, some exams were shortened and moved online during testing periods; some students have attempted cheating during online APs that may not always be efficient in terms of time management, navigation issues and legible handwriting capabilities.
Students have developed strategies for cheating on online AP exams, such as using Discord servers to collaborate during tests and searching Google for answers during each exam. A Philadelphia Public School Notebook study discovered that searches related to specific exams increased exponentially at each exam; for example “federalism” spiked during an AP U.S. Government and Politics exam while “angular momentum” saw its numbers spike during an AP Physics C: Mechanics exam.
College Board has attempted hard to prevent cheating on online AP exams; however, students are finding ways to bypass its systems and help each other cheat. To combat cheating during an exam period, a comprehensive set of protocols has been put in place by College Board; those caught attempting cheating will be barred from future AP tests, with their scores cancelled; their schools/colleges as well as institutions such as SAT and CLEP receiving notification about such activity.
Not much is known yet about whether this year’s digital AP exams will include similar security measures to past years; however, according to College Board testing instructions schools must submit an incident report for any disturbance or disruption during an exam, including missing or damaged exam supplies, illness during an AP test session, unwelcome behavior from students or teachers and cheating. Furthermore, reports must include seating charts of exam rooms. Students taking an AP exam should carefully review these reporting requirements prior to sitting their exams.
4. Breaking into the test provider’s test center
Students caught cheating on online AP exams face severe penalties from both the College Board and test provider, including cancellation of scores and bans from future exams as well as suspension from offering courses related to APs. Furthermore, their school records could be revoked as well as eligibility being removed for scholarships or admission into colleges.
Although the College Board has implemented strict policies against cheating during Advanced Placement exams, students continue to find ways to violate them. Some cheaters even create websites which enable students to chat during an AP exam while recording software can record students during an exam and these devices can then be used to share notes, discuss questions and solutions with fellow students or tutors.
As part of its efforts to prevent cheating during an Advanced Placement exam, the College Board requires schools to report any disturbances that arise during testing – from missing exam supplies to students being sick during tests – immediately upon taking place. Some reports are more serious than others and could even result in invalidating student scores.
An example of cheating happened at a California high school when an administrator noticed several students sitting closely together during an AP exam – this violated College Board guidelines which stipulate that students should be separated by five feet minimum during an AP test.
The College Board is aware of these cheating incidents and will continue to investigate them. Meanwhile, this year’s AP exams have been modified so they are open-book and shorter; while these changes should make cheating less enticing to students taking an exam, students still need to be cautious when using class notes or searching the internet during an exam session. In addition, the organization invests heavily in anti-plagiarism software programs which scan millions of AP exam pages for plagiarism.